Re: Announcing: Fyleet, Crobe, Sangraal

[genew@shuswap.net (Gene Wirchenko)]

Peter Killworth <P.Killworth@soc.soton.ac.uk> wrote:

>As one of the authors potentially involved in some of the
>re-releases which are being discussed, can I just make a loud
>noise.
>I HATE EXAMINE!
>There, I feel better...
>Far too many games involve "puzzles" whose solution is
>"Oh, you didn't notice you could 'x minefield' or
>'search countryside' because these were built into room
>descriptions". I was brought up to believe that the computer
>was your eyes and hands. Thus if the dial is set to 8, you
>get told this, without having to say 'x dial' every time.
>
>(Clearly 'read book' and the like are legitimate; just looking
>at the book isn't going to tell you all about its contents.)
>Even dear Anchorhead required, after the player has set dials
>properly on the safe and it opens, that the player has to 'look
>in safe'. I mean, he/she is standing there by the safe,
>watching it open... surely (s)he notices the contents?? What is
>wrong with "the safe slowly opens, revealing an x, a y and a z"?

     I've run into the same problem with poor Gamemasters in AD&D,
etc..  They VERY vaguely mention the room.  When you ask for
clarification, the monsters (previously unmentioned) attack.

     As if you wouldn't have noticed them!  It may take much longer to
describe a room than it does to look at it and gain the same
information.

[snip]

Sincerely,

Gene Wirchenko

Computerese Irregular Verb Conjugation:
     I have preferences.
     You have biases.
     He/She has prejudices.